Delhi Commission for Women seeks report from Delhi on action against erring officers

NEW DELHI: The DCW has sought a detailed report from Delhi's Home Minister Satyendra Jain on the number of cases since 2012 in which departmental action has been initiated against erring investigating officers in accordance with Supreme Court directions.

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has also sought to know the current procedure adopted by the city government's Home Department for taking action against erring investigation and prosecuting officers.

"It is appropriate to mention here the directions given by Hon'ble Supreme Court - on the culmination of a criminal case in acquittal, the concerned investigating/prosecuting official(s) responsible for such acquittal must necessarily be identified. A finding needs to be recorded in each case, whether the lapse was innocent or blameworthy.

"Each erring officer must suffer the consequences of his lapse, by appropriate departmental action. Taking into consideration the seriousness of the matter, the concerned official may be withdrawn from investigative responsibilities, permanently or temporarily, depending purely on his culpability," DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal said in her letter to Jain quoting the order.

The commission also directed the Home Department of every state government to formulate a procedure for taking action against all erring investigating and prosecuting officials.

"The above mechanism formulated would infuse seriousness in the performance of investigating and prosecuting duties, and would ensure that investigation and prosecution are purposeful and decisive," she said in the letter.